Considering that the last 3 expansions we have known who, what, when, where, and why we are killing the last boss, actually accomplishing something in the beginning life cycle of a game is not a waste. It's proof that we have grown as factions and can get things done, while also requiring actual content to be put in the game. It's a waste to spend 2-3 years knowing what is coming, with nothing new or relevatory in the process.

As other people have mentioned, sha corruption was the expected reason for Garrosh going apeshit insane. Since before the game was released, people have been calling it. This type of thinking has predicted every single major event, for the most part, in regards to killing bosses and it's getting old. Eliminating the Sha in the beginning of a story gives way to ACTUAL characters being responsible for their actions. It's about damned time we got some credibility and consequences for actions and not just repercussions from being manipulated by demons/lich/titans/old gods/sha.

Think about it. Everyone we've killed as the titular 'final' boss since Ragnaros/Nefarion has been hopped up on the brain control crazy juice. Every.single.one. It's about time we nipped that garbage in the bud and let our stories and the stories of our villains be told.

---------- Post added 2012-10-08 at 03:33 PM ----------

That's what Warcraft 4 is for.

Sorry for a very late reply.

Anyway, there are plenty of ways we can make progress without getting rid of the Sha straight away. The Mantid, the Mogu, the Zandalari, etc etc. It just seems to me that the Sha are the biggest threat here and tie in the best to the message of the expansion (i.e the pointlessness of the Horde/Alliance war.). It would seem odd to get rid of this thematic link so soon. I also think having Garrosh corrupted by the Sha would actually be an interesting twist on the whole going crazy thing. The Sha doesn't corrupt in the traditional sense, it amplifies what's already there.

Anyway, there are plenty of ways we can make progress without getting rid of the Sha straight away. The Mantid, the Mogu, the Zandalari, etc etc. It just seems to me that the Sha are the biggest threat here and tie in the best to the message of the expansion (i.e the pointlessness of the Horde/Alliance war.). It would seem odd to get rid of this thematic link so soon. I also think having Garrosh corrupted by the Sha would actually be an interesting twist on the whole going crazy thing. The Sha doesn't corrupt in the traditional sense, it amplifies what's already there.

If you think the underlined is the message of the expansion, maybe you should think about: We ask why do we fight?

Both sides have their reasons. As hopped up on the kungfu zen juice as this is, I think it's actually the inverse of that very cliche principle. Peace is not the answer, this is World of WARcraft. We are going to continue to pull people up into this mess and keep it going for more expansions. There will never be a World of Peacecraft.

I think the overall message is to focus your fighting. To not fight for the wrong reasons. That there are limits to war, including mutual agreements of temporary cease fire. The Pandaren have been fighting for their lives as well. It's about making war mean something, not becoming a bloodthirsty psycho. And not destroying what innocence is left in the process.

If you think the underlined is the message of the expansion, maybe you should think about: We ask why do we fight?

Both sides have their reasons. As hopped up on the kungfu zen juice as this is, I think it's actually the inverse of that very cliche principle. Peace is not the answer, this is World of WARcraft. We are going to continue to pull people up into this mess and keep it going for more expansions. There will never be a World of Peacecraft.

I think the overall message is to focus your fighting. To not fight for the wrong reasons. That there are limits to war, including mutual agreements of temporary cease fire. The Pandaren have been fighting for their lives as well. It's about making war mean something, not becoming a bloodthirsty psycho. And not destroying what innocence is left in the process.

The big question though is "what is worth fighting for?" And let's be honest the Horde/Alliance war is pointless. It's based around a decades old conflict which only a small portion of the current faction members were involved and in which one of the races that was, was not in it's right mind. There is no reason for the conflict aside from petty hatred. And I think Pandaria will about about the Horde and Alliance learning that, learning that they've managed to defeat all the evils thrown at Azeroth whilst fighting amongst one another, and that if therefore if they weren't fighting they'd be unstoppable. And I think that it will take the Sha, the physical manifestation of the pointless war, to teach the Alliance and Horde this lesson.

Also, we've got a lot of information on patch 5.1 and there's no indication of the Sha being defeated, so mark my words, they're going to be the main enemy.

it will take the Sha, the physical manifestation of the pointless war, to teach the Alliance and Horde this lesson.

There will always be a transgressor to remind everyone what we fight for. I'll admit they are heading dangerously close to Peacetown, but can't let that happen. There will be a major conflict that even Garrosh's death won't solve, either before or after the last raid here.

Garrosh has been kidnapped and replaced by a Dreadlord who took his shape since they left Northrend. That's why he allows summoning of demons and whatnot on Pandaria.

We will figure it out at the end of the expansion when we will fight the Dreadlord who took the form of Garrosh, and be told that the real Garrosh is still alive, but taken somewhere else, and something bad is about to happen to him, they are going to inject demon blood into him! And that my friends, is where the new expansion starts with the invasion of the Burning Legion again, that Wrathion shows in his visions.

*Tinfoilhat*

Ahm.. that's nice and all, but it's pretty obvious that Wrathion is actually possessed by a Dreadlord, working to re-open the Dark Portal while the Alliance and Horde are distracted in Pandaria.

Garrosh has been kidnapped and replaced by a Dreadlord who took his shape since they left Northrend. That's why he allows summoning of demons and whatnot on Pandaria.

If you paid attention to the quests you'd know that the summoning of demons by the horde warlocks in Pandaria was not authorized or even known by Garrosh, it was a panicked move made by the Orc in command as the Sha of Doubt began to invade his thoughts and minds, making him increasingly paranoid. He summoned demons to fill out the ranks of the remains of the Horde forces in Pandaria because he kept thinking a massive Alliance fleet was going to drop anchor at any moment. It was the same thing that drove him to kidnap Pandaren children (and the same thing that forced Doren to nearly enslave the Pandaren to build up his fortifications).

Garrosh was spiraling outward before he even knew of Pandaria, and his ego is too strong to let himself be manipulated by the Sha.

---------- Post added 2012-10-25 at 10:16 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Stede

Ahm.. that's nice and all, but it's pretty obvious that Wrathion is actually possessed by a Dreadlord, working to re-open the Dark Portal while the Alliance and Horde are distracted in Pandaria.

The Dark Portal is already open, everyone passes through it constantly going to and from Outland.

IMO Orgrimmar will be touched up. Quests where you interact with Garrosh in ORG might get phased or else removed/reworked.

Quests out in the world will likely not change. Just like how when you go to Outland Garrosh is still in Nagrand. And Thrall is still warchief in outland/northrend, etc. Just another inconsistency borne of the way WoW operates as a game.

Let some high up Blood Elf male become "Warchief", and decorate OG with purple drapes n carpets.

Dude, I'm all for that.

One of the best parts of the MoP faction capitals, is you sort of get this unified horde feeling. There's a large number of every race, hanging out, in the same place.

Org right now has orcs covering 90%, cows in cowtown, goblins in goblin town/near ashazara's new exit, trolls in troll town, and the races never coexist. The exception being that we have goblin bankers/auctioneers.

You don't see any trolls outside the troll district, and so on. the undead population in org? like, 5.

There's probably more undead hanging out with the rest of the faction in Vale than in Org, Capital of the horde and all that, right?